1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the construction of rotary pumps, rotary compressors or rotary engines having two or more concentric members with rotating energy chambers formed therebetween. The size of the chambers is modified by a novel oscillatory movement of symmetrically supported radially extending inner pistons toward and away from complementary radially extending outer pistons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rotary pumps, compressors and internal combustion engines are well known that have an annular working space that is divided by a pair of rotating members having radially extending pistons into a plurality of energy chambers. The two rotating members perform a differential rotational movement.
The main objection with the prior art designs is that they employ complex, external planetary gearing, or an external gear transmission unit, or an external differential gear assembly.
The Kauertz U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,007 describes a rotary radial-piston internal combustion engine comprising a common cylinder for at least two concentric pistons each having a pair of diametrically opposite vanes. Adjacent vanes respectively belong to the two pistons and form between them a working chamber. A control linkage interconnects the pistons for relative angular displacement about their common axis to contract and enlarge periodically the working chamber. The control linkage comprises a planetary gear rigidly connected with one of the pistons and meshing with a sun gear coaxial with the shafts thereof, and a connecting rod eccentrically journaled to the planet gear and pivotally connected to the other piston. Thus, upon a relative rotation of the planet and sun gears, the two pistons will be angularly reciprocated toward and away from one another to expand or contract the working chambers.
The Seybold U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,541 discloses a rotary internal combustion engine comprising a watercooled housing having a large cylindrical bore in which a hollow rotor with axially spaced side walls is free to rotate and on which two wedge-shaped, diametrically opposed pistons are mounted. The pistons cooperate with similarly shaped reaction elements enclosed in this cylindrical rotor, and they are mounted on a multiple-splined shaft. A gear transmission unit causes the reactor elements to remain stationary during ignition and expansion, and they are then accelerated to reduce the gap between the pistons and the reactor elements to exhaust the burned gases and/or compress the intake mixture of gas and air before ignition takes place.
The Hutterer U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,638 discloses a rotary piston machine which has a substantially annular working space that is divided by bars or pistons into a plurality of sealed chambers. The bars or pistons are carried by two coaxial drums which perform a differential rotational movement. A differential gear assembly for the pistons comprises a bevel gear which comprises four bevel wheels which mesh with each other. The differential gear assembly also comprises an epicyclic or planet wheel assembly.
The Baer U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,985 discloses a rotary engine or pump having rotating energy chambers whose size is modified by oscillatory movement of symmetrically supported radially extending movable walls or pistons toward and away from one another in the course of rotation. It employs translational means to translate the oscillatory movement of the movable walls into a rotational movement to drive the drive shaft. Couplings between the movable walls or pistons and the drive shaft include a crank connection at a radial extension of the shaft permitting oscillation of each movable wall. There is also an edge wall assembly relative to the crank support on the shaft extension. The crank support is a planet gear shaft that carries a pinion which meshes witha sun or ring gear on the housing. Thus as the crank arm rotates about this gear shaft, it turns the shaft extension and hence the shaft, thus tending to keep rotation smooth and assuring that the movable walls have repeatable patterns of movement which are the same for every rotation.